Li Guowen's Prose: Illustrated Treasures Edition

Author: Li Guowen
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2005-05-01
Features: The beauty of literature and the elegance of art complement each other, making it both a masterpiece for appreciation and a superior choice for collection and gifting. Chinese prose has a long and profound history. Over thousands of years of prose creation, whether expressing emotions, stating intentions, depicting scenes, or reminiscing about people, it has reflected the changes of the times and the thoughts and feelings of the people. In the new literature of the 20th century, these fine traditions of Chinese prose were not only fully inherited but also continuously innovated and developed. To showcase the achievements of Chinese prose creation since the 20th century, we edited and published the "Treasures of Chinese Prose" in the early days of the new century, totaling thirty volumes. Five years have passed, and we have further refined this into the "Illustrated Treasures of Chinese Prose," consisting of sixteen volumes. Through careful selection, this series not only adds over 50,000 new words to each volume but also accompanies them with precious photographs reflecting the authors' life journeys. Truly, the beauty of literature and the elegance of art complement each other, making it both a masterpiece for appreciation and a superior choice for collection and gifting.
Li Guowen's prose is scholarly, genuine, and possesses a keen observation of the world. What is particularly rare is his transcendent and free spirit, which allows him to maintain composure and confidence. He once said, "In this world, for some reason, some people care too much about others' perceptions, especially us Chinese. For instance, writers care even more about foreigners' feelings, as if they need foreigners to tell them how they feel before they truly feel it. This is truly pitiful—how can they not trust what they write?" He puts it so well! It's as if a rebuke to those who blindly admire foreign things. I enjoy Li Guowen's prose because his writing is not only natural but also sharp, revealing both cultivation and personality. It appears casual, yet it is actually a kind of ease that comes from a calm and composed mind. He himself has said that a relaxed, joyful, modest, and effortless mindset is suitable for writing prose. "If it's too intense, too heavy, too serious, or too tense, the 'dispersed' charm of prose and the 'flexible' nature of essays are lost. 'Dispersion' is a state of being, yet the words that flow from the pen are calm, drifting, unrestrained, and enduring. They are not the same as loose, unfocused, aimless, or rambling writing." It shows that Li Guowen has a conscious understanding of prose, especially his statement that "dispersion is a state of being," which lingers in the mind.
Li Guowen's unrestrained and carefree prose is his work of "fulfilling his intentions." Many of his essays exude a powerful presence that circles between history and reality. "Wherever the mind goes, the pen bends." Perhaps it is precisely because of this "bending of the pen" that his bold and spirited "intentions" and "spirit" still appear calm and comfortable, without forcing readers into a feeling of being confronted with a fierce or tense tone. Even when his writing is at its most passionate, Li Guowen never loses his "dispersion is a state of being" writing focus. He truly knows that he is writing "prose." He enters not only the act of writing prose but also the state of prose. Such writers are indeed rare. The success of this discourse practice once again tells us: "Dispersion" is always the fundamental state of prose (though it also relies on the inherent atmosphere of prose). Only when "dispersion" becomes the writer's state of mind can great prose be born.
In fact, if "dispersion" is the state of being and "spirit" is the overarching principle, your words can be as open and scattered as you like, yet they will still remain focused and harmonious. Conversely, without the state of "dispersion" and the of "spirit," even the most focused words can only be rigid and contrived. This may be one of the secrets of prose.